The fifth version of the venerable Poe horror tale I have watched: two shorts, one cartoon and two full-length adaptations; the latter both emanated from Britain: for the record, I had watched the 1934 version at London's National Film Theatre in January 2007 during their "Quota-quickie" season. This one, then, is not very well-thought of – but the result (though departing from the original text in most respects) is interesting and decidedly underrated. It starts out with a prologue involving a cocaine-sniffing Poe (also played by suitably austere lead Lawrence Payne) having the story come to him in a nightmare. The anti-hero of the main narrative itself, then, is also called Edgar and he lives in the Rue Morgue(!!): an introvert, he falls for sensuous neighbor Adrienne Corri; however, when he introduces her to his best friend, they start an affair behind his back and, when he finds out, his jealousy turns homicidal.The plot (as reworked by Brian Clemens of "The Avengers" fame) has therefore been fleshed out but also rendered somewhat ordinary; that said, the stylized approach successfully evokes the author's psychological 'landscape' – most memorably, the 'pulsating' carpet above the floorboards where the body is hidden.
27 Reviews
A pretty decent Poe adaption
Red-Barracuda30 August 2010
This low budget Gothic movie is an adaption of an Edgar Allan Poe short story. I'm not sure if I ever read this one but other reviewers have stated that it isn't the most faithful adaption in any case. Going by what I know of Poe, this isn't exactly surprising as most of his stories were very sparse and to-the-point. The basic premise has a man murdering his best friend through a fit of jealousy due to the said friend copping off with his girlfriend. The murderer is then haunted by the sound of the dead man's beating heart, leading him to madness. While the story is very simple and the cast is very small, I thought the film as a whole was well handled. Laurence Payne is good as the central character Edgar. He seemed to be a somewhat troubled character even before the murder and Payne depicts the man well. I was also pleasantly surprised to see some scenes of gore and violence in such an old movie – the central murder is quite vicious, Edgar later cuts out the dead man's heart and we even have a character fall from a balcony onto a spike! This all adds a welcome schlock factor to proceedings.
While The Tell-Tale Heart may not be anything overly special, it does entertain and it has a fairly effective atmosphere at times. For anyone who doesn't mind cheap Gothic productions or who is a Poe completist then this is a film you may enjoy.
While The Tell-Tale Heart may not be anything overly special, it does entertain and it has a fairly effective atmosphere at times. For anyone who doesn't mind cheap Gothic productions or who is a Poe completist then this is a film you may enjoy.
Could Be a Winner
gavin694222 July 2014
When Edgar sees his girlfriend Betty getting up close and personal with his best friend Carl, he murders Carl in a jealous rage and hides the corpse under the floor of his piano room. Comes the night, and Edgar begins to hear strange sounds coming from under the floor...
The problem with this film is that it apparently fell into the public domain, so the DVD copies floating around are pretty rough, and make the film look much cheaper than it really is. A better version (which may never happen), might reveal this to be a lost classic, actually predating Roger Corman's Poe films by a few years.
The costumes and such are very nice, and the story is well-written to build up to the part that Poe covered. While this is obviously a Poe tale, the writer (Brian Clemens) deserves much credit, as the bulk is his creation.
The problem with this film is that it apparently fell into the public domain, so the DVD copies floating around are pretty rough, and make the film look much cheaper than it really is. A better version (which may never happen), might reveal this to be a lost classic, actually predating Roger Corman's Poe films by a few years.
The costumes and such are very nice, and the story is well-written to build up to the part that Poe covered. While this is obviously a Poe tale, the writer (Brian Clemens) deserves much credit, as the bulk is his creation.
Heart in the Right(Wrong?) Place
Geisterzug23 May 2002
I completely agree with the first reviewer.
A little gem - co-written by Brian Clemens (who went on to create THE AVENGERS, THE PROFESSIONALS etc.)
A surprising 'sexuality' about the proceedings. Utterly passe now, but it must have been a little intense and 'naughty' at the time. The slow-burn attraction between Walsh and Adrienne Corri is quite good. And given that the Danzigers' track record for British B movies is not brilliant - this one certainly tries to deliver the goods. The murder scene, and the gore content, is quite graphic for its time. 1961, remember? (I suspect there would have been British censor trouble then, had the movie been filmed in colour).
Trivia: Co-star Dermot Walsh was married at the time to Hazel Court (of Hammer/Roger Corman movie fame.) Walsh then went on to star in the Danzigers' TV series: RICHARD THE LIONHEART. I can still sing the title song on request. Sad, eh? And how Dermot maintains that high quiff-hairstyle is an astonishment. Laurence Payne (who I've always liked and was co-star in THE TROLLENBERG TERROR/THE CRAWLING EYE),lost an eye in the early sixties during a fencing scene in his British TV series SEXTON BLAKE. Great casting for that part, I always thought. He was always good.)Bar tender Frank Thornton, who has two brief scenes, went on to great success as a comedy character actor in theatre, and British TV (eg ARE YOU BEING SERVED?)
Geisterzug
A little gem - co-written by Brian Clemens (who went on to create THE AVENGERS, THE PROFESSIONALS etc.)
A surprising 'sexuality' about the proceedings. Utterly passe now, but it must have been a little intense and 'naughty' at the time. The slow-burn attraction between Walsh and Adrienne Corri is quite good. And given that the Danzigers' track record for British B movies is not brilliant - this one certainly tries to deliver the goods. The murder scene, and the gore content, is quite graphic for its time. 1961, remember? (I suspect there would have been British censor trouble then, had the movie been filmed in colour).
Trivia: Co-star Dermot Walsh was married at the time to Hazel Court (of Hammer/Roger Corman movie fame.) Walsh then went on to star in the Danzigers' TV series: RICHARD THE LIONHEART. I can still sing the title song on request. Sad, eh? And how Dermot maintains that high quiff-hairstyle is an astonishment. Laurence Payne (who I've always liked and was co-star in THE TROLLENBERG TERROR/THE CRAWLING EYE),lost an eye in the early sixties during a fencing scene in his British TV series SEXTON BLAKE. Great casting for that part, I always thought. He was always good.)Bar tender Frank Thornton, who has two brief scenes, went on to great success as a comedy character actor in theatre, and British TV (eg ARE YOU BEING SERVED?)
Geisterzug
"Frottage?"
Bezenby28 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Edgar is a right fud living on Rue Morgue with no clue whatsoever when it comes to woman. He also lacks the social skills and has to rely on his playboy mate for advice. When a young chick moves in across the road from him, Edgar immediately endears himself with the audience by standing at his window watching her disrobe (and probably knocking one out in the process).
Edgar's all 'she must be mine' but his approach of 'staring at her, then running away' doesn't quite work for some reason. So, he goes to his mate and is all like 'how do I get chicks to dig me?' and his mate's all 'Y'all gotta play it cool, blood'. Edgar plays it cool by heavy duty stalking until the girl relents, goes out for dinner, then rebuffs his light-hearted sexual assault later that evening.
Taken aback, Edgar steps up his stalking methods until she relents once again. By this point Edgar's mate is all 'Bra, you gotta lay off a little' so Edgar of course does the opposite and buys the biggest diamond in the world. By this time the chick has met Edgar's mate and giving him the glad eye, but the mate is all 'bros before hos' at first, but there's only so much a playa can take before jack the one-eyed pirate wants to go looking for treasure.
Next thing you know the mate and the chick is playing tonsil hockey on the dance floor while poor, stupid Edgar fetches their jackets. The chick gets escorted home by Edgar before he once again tries to put the moves on her in a way that looks like drunken John Hurt fighting a photographer. Rebuffed again, he heads home to his favourite spot: the window where he can watch her get undressed.
At that point the mate shows up in the window and the next thing you know Edgar's blowing a gasket as his mate is getting some and he ain't. It's also implied here that Edgar goes on some sort of onanistic frenzy as the next time we see him he's laid out in a chair with a blanket over his crotch.
Just in case you've been held captive in a German guy's basement for most of your life and don't know how this story turns out, Edgar kills his mate and is from then on tormented by the constant beating of his dead mate's heart, but will the police and the chick find the body with the help of a black cat and the entire house of Usher and Arthur Gordon Pym? Yes, yes they do, as you know already.
We're all familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tell Tale' series (Tell Tale Heart, Tell Tale Japanese Love Eggs, Tell Tale Danny Dyer) so the real question is how good is the film at telling the story? Well, Edgar's an absolute moron from the start of the film, and his mate genuinely makes an effort to distance himself from the upcoming love disaster, so aye it's not bad
Edgar's all 'she must be mine' but his approach of 'staring at her, then running away' doesn't quite work for some reason. So, he goes to his mate and is all like 'how do I get chicks to dig me?' and his mate's all 'Y'all gotta play it cool, blood'. Edgar plays it cool by heavy duty stalking until the girl relents, goes out for dinner, then rebuffs his light-hearted sexual assault later that evening.
Taken aback, Edgar steps up his stalking methods until she relents once again. By this point Edgar's mate is all 'Bra, you gotta lay off a little' so Edgar of course does the opposite and buys the biggest diamond in the world. By this time the chick has met Edgar's mate and giving him the glad eye, but the mate is all 'bros before hos' at first, but there's only so much a playa can take before jack the one-eyed pirate wants to go looking for treasure.
Next thing you know the mate and the chick is playing tonsil hockey on the dance floor while poor, stupid Edgar fetches their jackets. The chick gets escorted home by Edgar before he once again tries to put the moves on her in a way that looks like drunken John Hurt fighting a photographer. Rebuffed again, he heads home to his favourite spot: the window where he can watch her get undressed.
At that point the mate shows up in the window and the next thing you know Edgar's blowing a gasket as his mate is getting some and he ain't. It's also implied here that Edgar goes on some sort of onanistic frenzy as the next time we see him he's laid out in a chair with a blanket over his crotch.
Just in case you've been held captive in a German guy's basement for most of your life and don't know how this story turns out, Edgar kills his mate and is from then on tormented by the constant beating of his dead mate's heart, but will the police and the chick find the body with the help of a black cat and the entire house of Usher and Arthur Gordon Pym? Yes, yes they do, as you know already.
We're all familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tell Tale' series (Tell Tale Heart, Tell Tale Japanese Love Eggs, Tell Tale Danny Dyer) so the real question is how good is the film at telling the story? Well, Edgar's an absolute moron from the start of the film, and his mate genuinely makes an effort to distance himself from the upcoming love disaster, so aye it's not bad
A fairly decent Poe adaptation.
BA_Harrison23 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
When beauty Betty Clare (Adrienne Corri) moves into the building opposite introvert Edgar Marsh (Laurence Payne), the shy young man seeks advice from his friend Carl Loomis (Dermot Walsh) on how best to romantically approach the young woman. Edgar's attempts at wooing Betty are clumsy, and his feelings unreciprocated, and when Edgar introduces Betty to Carl, he really sets himself up for a fall: one evening, he sees Carl and Betty together in her apartment, and they're not talking about the weather! Enraged, Edgar lures Carl to his home, bashes his head in with a fire poker, and stashes the body under his floorboards, but his guilt over the terrible crime manifests itself as a incessant, pounding heartbeat.
A loose adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-tale Heart (a story familiar to me through an episode of The Simpsons), this film opens with a warning for the squeamish, although for the most part the action is far from horrific, revolving around Edgar's obsession with Betty (on whom he spies from his first floor window) and his unsuccessful attempts at getting to first base. Things get far more interesting when Edgar eventually loses the plot: we get a surprisingly vicious murder scene, Ed giving Carl numerous hefty whacks that leave him spattered with blood (gruesome stuff for a film from 1960); the young man's descent into complete and utter madness is handled well by director Ernest Morris, with dripping taps, pulsing floorboards and a ticking metronome pushing him even further over the edge; and in the film's juiciest scene, Edgar clutches the still beating heart that he has cut from Carl's chest and buries it in the garden.
I rate The Tell-Tale Heart 6/10, which I might have raised to a 7 if it hadn't been for the trite, cop-out ending in which it all turns out to be a dream (that might just become reality).
A loose adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-tale Heart (a story familiar to me through an episode of The Simpsons), this film opens with a warning for the squeamish, although for the most part the action is far from horrific, revolving around Edgar's obsession with Betty (on whom he spies from his first floor window) and his unsuccessful attempts at getting to first base. Things get far more interesting when Edgar eventually loses the plot: we get a surprisingly vicious murder scene, Ed giving Carl numerous hefty whacks that leave him spattered with blood (gruesome stuff for a film from 1960); the young man's descent into complete and utter madness is handled well by director Ernest Morris, with dripping taps, pulsing floorboards and a ticking metronome pushing him even further over the edge; and in the film's juiciest scene, Edgar clutches the still beating heart that he has cut from Carl's chest and buries it in the garden.
I rate The Tell-Tale Heart 6/10, which I might have raised to a 7 if it hadn't been for the trite, cop-out ending in which it all turns out to be a dream (that might just become reality).
The Sound of Guilt
wes-connors29 July 2009
"Based upon the Edgar Allan Poe story, 'The Tell-Tale Heart' is the story of a writer (Laurence Payne) who finds himself with a romantic rival (Dermot Walsh) for the affections of a young woman (Adrienne Corri)," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. Now, go read the short story
This film fails to fully capture the spirit of the original, filling it out with an ordinary love triangle. The protagonist's fondness for alcohol, tendency for peeping, and collection of dirty pictures are nice touches. There are some nicely staged scenes, and Mr. Morris often employs very good camera angles. The climax is moderately exciting, but the ending is a letdown.
**** The Tell-Tale Heart (12/60) Ernest Morris ~ Laurence Payne, Adrienne Corri, Dermot Walsh
**** The Tell-Tale Heart (12/60) Ernest Morris ~ Laurence Payne, Adrienne Corri, Dermot Walsh
Not enough plot to fill the running time
The_Void23 April 2009
The Tell-Tale Heart is one of the best known of Edgar Allen Poe's works; and I was surprised that I had not seen a film based on it. The original story is just a short story, and while there have been many versions of this tale committed to screen; most of them are only shorts themselves; thus making this film one of the few feature length editions of the story. Well...after having seen it, I have to admit that I'm not surprised there aren't more feature length versions because really there isn't enough plot to stretch to such a long running time. Thus, most of the story of this film has no relation to Poe's original story. We focus on a man named Edgar (a bit of a ham-fisted reference if you ask me); a quiet man that lacks experience with women. When he notices a young lady named Betty in a house across the street; he resolves to romance her and asks his close friend Carl for advice on how to speak to women. He and Betty are getting on well; until he discovers that Carl and Betty are also getting on well, and so Carl is murdered.
The film is shot in black and white and looks really cheap throughout. Director Ernest Morris appears not to have the resolve to elevate the film above the mundane and also fails to get a good performance out of his any of his (relatively) unknown cast; which renders the whole production rather bland. Of course, the whole film is just build up to the inevitable situation whereby the murderous central character is haunted by the echoes of the beating heart from the man he has killed, and this leaves most of it feeling rather pointless. To the film's credit, however, it does handle Poe's actual story well and things do become much more interesting once we reach the main part of the film. This version of The Tell-Tale Heart never really gets into the psychological side of Poe's original story; and the reason for that really just goes back to the characters, which aren't interesting enough. Overall, this is really a lacklustre effort and I wouldn't recommend tracking it down; this story is more suited to a short film anyway, and I'm sure that at least one of the many short film versions is superior to this effort.
The film is shot in black and white and looks really cheap throughout. Director Ernest Morris appears not to have the resolve to elevate the film above the mundane and also fails to get a good performance out of his any of his (relatively) unknown cast; which renders the whole production rather bland. Of course, the whole film is just build up to the inevitable situation whereby the murderous central character is haunted by the echoes of the beating heart from the man he has killed, and this leaves most of it feeling rather pointless. To the film's credit, however, it does handle Poe's actual story well and things do become much more interesting once we reach the main part of the film. This version of The Tell-Tale Heart never really gets into the psychological side of Poe's original story; and the reason for that really just goes back to the characters, which aren't interesting enough. Overall, this is really a lacklustre effort and I wouldn't recommend tracking it down; this story is more suited to a short film anyway, and I'm sure that at least one of the many short film versions is superior to this effort.
Poe-etic or Path-etic? You decide!
mark.waltz16 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Low budget but spirited adaption of Edgar Allan Poe's short story, this came around the time that American International was doing their own Poe films, ableit in color and with a cast of veteran horror stars. Lawrence Payne is the handsome Edgar Marsh who lives through a real nightmare when he murders a romantic rival and places the dead man's corpse under his floor board. It isn't the smell of rotting flesh that keeps him awake at night but the sound of a loudly beating heart that seems to get closer with each beat. Is it guilt, insanity or real horror approaching? Or possibly all three?
Poe's story has been filmed dozens of times, but this version seems the most likely to be true. Various short versions only tell one side of the tale, with an MGM short indicating that the victim was the killer's boss. Even Vincent Price would get in on it by doing a dramatic reading that showed Price in the background bring the terrorized murderer losing his sanity, if he ever had it that is.
This version may be cheaply made, but there's a sense of romance in the more complete tale. Payne shows much vulnerability and Adrienne Cori makes a lovely heroine. In a sense, this is more a Gothic thriller with elements of horror, and at times, I think the heart is beating for color like the SIP and Hammer horrors which were breathtaking to look at. A sometimes inappropriate musical score reminds Mr of carousel music, but the period details are excellent. I have seen a musical about Poe's life Off Broadway which touched on his stories (in addition to his madness) but if it ever does make it to the musical stage, this would be a fabulous basis for it.
Poe's story has been filmed dozens of times, but this version seems the most likely to be true. Various short versions only tell one side of the tale, with an MGM short indicating that the victim was the killer's boss. Even Vincent Price would get in on it by doing a dramatic reading that showed Price in the background bring the terrorized murderer losing his sanity, if he ever had it that is.
This version may be cheaply made, but there's a sense of romance in the more complete tale. Payne shows much vulnerability and Adrienne Cori makes a lovely heroine. In a sense, this is more a Gothic thriller with elements of horror, and at times, I think the heart is beating for color like the SIP and Hammer horrors which were breathtaking to look at. A sometimes inappropriate musical score reminds Mr of carousel music, but the period details are excellent. I have seen a musical about Poe's life Off Broadway which touched on his stories (in addition to his madness) but if it ever does make it to the musical stage, this would be a fabulous basis for it.
"I can't stop the beating..."
classicsoncall6 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I was all set to say what a great picture this was given the era, as the filming style resembles all those great Sherlock Holmes movies of the Thirties starring Basil Rathbone. By that standard I thought it was quite well done. Imagine my surprise coming to IMDb and finding it was released in 1960! Even so, the story, based on a work by Edgar Allen Poe, is quite intriguing and captures the spirit of the Poe work with the paranoia and horror of a dead man's beating heart to instill guilt in the murderer. However I do agree with others who comment on Betty's (Adrienne Corri) more than obvious infatuation with Carl (Dermot Walsh) while her suitor Edgar (Laurence Payne) remained entirely oblivious. There's also the unexplainable situation of Edgar regularly spying on his neighbor through an unobstructed window, but it never seemed to strike Betty that it goes both ways until after the deed was done. When she proclaims "He must have seen us...", it's like a d'oh moment for the viewer waiting for it to happen. I generally feel let down when a movie's resolution reveals that it was an imaginary story or a dream, but in this case, I'll just put that final scene out of my mind and pretend that Edgar got what was coming to him.
Loose Poe
BandSAboutMovies16 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane have selected this movie as one of the 15 most meritorious British B films made between World War II and 1970. That has to be worth something, correct?
Director Ernest Morris and writer Brian Clemens worked together on several films, including Operation Murder, On the Run, The Betrayal, Three Sundays to Live and A Woman of Mystery amongst others. Clemens would go on to write for The Avengers, as well as And Soon the Darkness, Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter and creating the Thriller TV series.
Here, they are loosely adapting Edgar Allan Poe. Have you ever noticed that nearly every time I mention someone is making a Poe movie that it's a loose adaption?
Edgar Marsh (Laurence Payne, Vampire Circus) is a shy man who is obsessed with erotica, which in 1960 made him a dangerous maniac instead of someone with an internet connection. He notices Betty Clare (Adrienne Corri, A Clockwork Orange) getting undressed and becomes overly obsessed by her, planning their future long before she's even interested.
What she is interested in is his friend Carl Loomis, who she hooks up with after Edgar introduces them. He watches them together and then kills his friend with a poker, then buries him in his piano room. Before you can say "loosely adapted from an Edgar Allan Poe story," he's hearing the tell-tale heartbeat.
It's low budget, but not a bad film. It feels very much like a TV production, which makes sense, because it was made by those that would go on to mainly work in TV.
Director Ernest Morris and writer Brian Clemens worked together on several films, including Operation Murder, On the Run, The Betrayal, Three Sundays to Live and A Woman of Mystery amongst others. Clemens would go on to write for The Avengers, as well as And Soon the Darkness, Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter and creating the Thriller TV series.
Here, they are loosely adapting Edgar Allan Poe. Have you ever noticed that nearly every time I mention someone is making a Poe movie that it's a loose adaption?
Edgar Marsh (Laurence Payne, Vampire Circus) is a shy man who is obsessed with erotica, which in 1960 made him a dangerous maniac instead of someone with an internet connection. He notices Betty Clare (Adrienne Corri, A Clockwork Orange) getting undressed and becomes overly obsessed by her, planning their future long before she's even interested.
What she is interested in is his friend Carl Loomis, who she hooks up with after Edgar introduces them. He watches them together and then kills his friend with a poker, then buries him in his piano room. Before you can say "loosely adapted from an Edgar Allan Poe story," he's hearing the tell-tale heartbeat.
It's low budget, but not a bad film. It feels very much like a TV production, which makes sense, because it was made by those that would go on to mainly work in TV.
Great version!
Bub_the_zombie19 August 2006
Definitely one of the better takes on the classic Poe story. The acting in this version is simply fantastic. A moody little piece with some risqué' scenes to be of such an early caliber. A very interesting rarity.
The quality of the print isn't great, but has still held up well throughout time, considering... It's a wonder that someone still had the negative.. I was really surprised,as a lot of times, films like these can really be tedious, but not this one.
A welcomed attempt is what this is. One gets the sense that even tho it had been done to death (even previously from 1960) the filmmakers took their approach seriously, with an end result that is creepy and risky.
I'm surprised that more people haven't seen this film, given the fact that it's pretty readily available on a one buck DVD alongside Chiller.
The quality of the print isn't great, but has still held up well throughout time, considering... It's a wonder that someone still had the negative.. I was really surprised,as a lot of times, films like these can really be tedious, but not this one.
A welcomed attempt is what this is. One gets the sense that even tho it had been done to death (even previously from 1960) the filmmakers took their approach seriously, with an end result that is creepy and risky.
I'm surprised that more people haven't seen this film, given the fact that it's pretty readily available on a one buck DVD alongside Chiller.
Inspired by rather than based on
jazzstyle4 August 2022
I confess. I'm a literature nerd. I take issue when a film veers so much from the original work, as is the case with this film. While I love the period look, all the wonderful trappings, even those are totally opposite of what Poe wrote. His story focuses on the sparse, the essentials only. I did watch the film all the way through, to see how the climax was handled.
The copy of the film I watched was plagued with dialogue out of sync for the first half or more of the film. This really surprised me since the Danzigers, in 1949, started out by operating a sound studio in New York that specialised in the dubbing of foreign films for US release.
I like the black and white. It felt to me more like an early 1930's film, or even a silent film, without dialogue shown on screen. In the first half, no dialogue with the action, I kind of enjoyed "fill in the blanks". I had to watch, no multi-tasking while the film is playing. It was simple to follow the story from some good takes by the actors, and an appropriate shooting sequence by the director. Another reviewer mentions interesting camera angles. Ditto. For a quickly shot, low budget film, it looks pretty darn good.
I thought the early instances of Marsh hearing things, then various items being jostled was too much, but I did like the chess reference. That would have meant more to me had it been the only physical manifestation shown. I thought the heart looked better than average and had a, thankfully, subtle effect. Worked for me.
I did not find the film at all suspenseful or scary. I agree with another reviewer that trying to stretch Poe's very short story into a full length film is not a good idea. Hence, the new story line altogether. While I'd rather a totally unrelated, common story line not be used to stretch the concept and heart of Poe's story (Yes, I see what I did.), I read that the Danzigers' studio was in the business of movie making rather than the making of professor-proof adaptations of classics. Many of the Danzigers' films were thriller, horror focused, so using a Poe theme is not a stretch.
I appreciate that historical films such as this are being watched and preserved. Were I to watch it again, I'd simply shut off all the sound. I think it works best that way. There's a lot of eye candy in this film in sets, props, costumes, hair, lighting, and decent acting to figure out what's happening. It does what a film is supposed to do; it shows the story. Maybe that was the Danzigers' forte?
The copy of the film I watched was plagued with dialogue out of sync for the first half or more of the film. This really surprised me since the Danzigers, in 1949, started out by operating a sound studio in New York that specialised in the dubbing of foreign films for US release.
I like the black and white. It felt to me more like an early 1930's film, or even a silent film, without dialogue shown on screen. In the first half, no dialogue with the action, I kind of enjoyed "fill in the blanks". I had to watch, no multi-tasking while the film is playing. It was simple to follow the story from some good takes by the actors, and an appropriate shooting sequence by the director. Another reviewer mentions interesting camera angles. Ditto. For a quickly shot, low budget film, it looks pretty darn good.
I thought the early instances of Marsh hearing things, then various items being jostled was too much, but I did like the chess reference. That would have meant more to me had it been the only physical manifestation shown. I thought the heart looked better than average and had a, thankfully, subtle effect. Worked for me.
I did not find the film at all suspenseful or scary. I agree with another reviewer that trying to stretch Poe's very short story into a full length film is not a good idea. Hence, the new story line altogether. While I'd rather a totally unrelated, common story line not be used to stretch the concept and heart of Poe's story (Yes, I see what I did.), I read that the Danzigers' studio was in the business of movie making rather than the making of professor-proof adaptations of classics. Many of the Danzigers' films were thriller, horror focused, so using a Poe theme is not a stretch.
I appreciate that historical films such as this are being watched and preserved. Were I to watch it again, I'd simply shut off all the sound. I think it works best that way. There's a lot of eye candy in this film in sets, props, costumes, hair, lighting, and decent acting to figure out what's happening. It does what a film is supposed to do; it shows the story. Maybe that was the Danzigers' forte?
Pathetic Poe
chrys-1893626 February 2022
Builds slowly to some memorable horror scenes
pmsusana22 February 2001
One critic described this film as "A real bore"; I vigorously disagree. It has its flaws - modern audiences would probably find it slow to start, and that blaring backround music detracts from a few scenes - but it does build slowly to some wonderfully creepy and horrific scenes during the second half which are well worth hanging on for. I was also impressed with the sincerely tormented performance of Laurence Payne in the central role.
Don't listen to the heart, his achy-breaky heart...
Coventry1 March 2023
My first acquaintance - and I'm sure this goes for many people, whether they admit it or not - with this story was via two brilliant episodes of "The Simpsons". Only later, in high school, I learned what an incredibly tense and atmospheric story about guilt, repentance, and the descent into madness Edgar Allan Poe created with "The Tell-Tale Heart".
None of Poe's work is easy to turn into a long-feature film. There exist many versions of "The Tell-Tale Heart" but practically all of them are short films, simply because there is hardly enough material to fill up a full-length running time without negatively affecting the essence and intensity of Poe's core messages. Presumably that's also why this story, which is one of Poe's most known ones, was never included in the awesome Roger Corman/Vincent Price film cycle of the early sixties. Writer Brian Clemens did the only thing he could do, namely slightly alter, and significantly extend the plot material.
In 19th Century Paris, we are introduced a certain Mr. Edgar Marsh (although I swear they call him Mr. Poe at the beginning of the film). Edgar is an introvert librarian, and a bit of a creep to be honest, who falls madly in love with the beautiful new girl who moved in across the street (and whom sneaky Edger peeps at when she puts on her nightgown). Since he isn't exactly the ladies' man, Edgar seeks romantic advice from his much more handsome and sociable friend Carl. Betty reluctantly agrees to go out with Edgar, but then she also meets Carl and can't keep her eyes off him. Edgar sees his alleged friend and dream woman bed-wrestling through his window and goes berserk. He invites Carl to his apartment and fiercely beats him to death with a poke. While the police don't listen to Betty when she claims Carl's disappearance is suspicious, Edgar grows increasingly paranoid by the belief that he hears Carl's heart beating though the wooden floor where he buried his former pal.
Even at barely 80 minutes of running time, large parts of "The Tell-Tale Heart" feel like irrelevant padding footage and don't add anything to the plot or the mounting of suspense. Other sequences are immensely powerful, and Poe-worthy, like the dance or Egdar breaking up his hardwood floor to verify Carl is really dead. The film is also surprisingly gruesome for an obviously low-budgeted 1960 black & white film. I can imagine contemporary audiences in shock at the sight of a madman explicitly bludgeoning someone, or the ripping out of a human heart. Laurence Payne and Adrienne Corri are both excellent, which is worth mentioning because neither of their roles are particularly easy or likeable.
Well, I was all set to give "The Tell-Tale Head" a solid 7/10 rating, but then suddenly came the most hated, worst-of-the-worst type of end-twist that exists in horror cinema, so unfortunately we're back to six.
None of Poe's work is easy to turn into a long-feature film. There exist many versions of "The Tell-Tale Heart" but practically all of them are short films, simply because there is hardly enough material to fill up a full-length running time without negatively affecting the essence and intensity of Poe's core messages. Presumably that's also why this story, which is one of Poe's most known ones, was never included in the awesome Roger Corman/Vincent Price film cycle of the early sixties. Writer Brian Clemens did the only thing he could do, namely slightly alter, and significantly extend the plot material.
In 19th Century Paris, we are introduced a certain Mr. Edgar Marsh (although I swear they call him Mr. Poe at the beginning of the film). Edgar is an introvert librarian, and a bit of a creep to be honest, who falls madly in love with the beautiful new girl who moved in across the street (and whom sneaky Edger peeps at when she puts on her nightgown). Since he isn't exactly the ladies' man, Edgar seeks romantic advice from his much more handsome and sociable friend Carl. Betty reluctantly agrees to go out with Edgar, but then she also meets Carl and can't keep her eyes off him. Edgar sees his alleged friend and dream woman bed-wrestling through his window and goes berserk. He invites Carl to his apartment and fiercely beats him to death with a poke. While the police don't listen to Betty when she claims Carl's disappearance is suspicious, Edgar grows increasingly paranoid by the belief that he hears Carl's heart beating though the wooden floor where he buried his former pal.
Even at barely 80 minutes of running time, large parts of "The Tell-Tale Heart" feel like irrelevant padding footage and don't add anything to the plot or the mounting of suspense. Other sequences are immensely powerful, and Poe-worthy, like the dance or Egdar breaking up his hardwood floor to verify Carl is really dead. The film is also surprisingly gruesome for an obviously low-budgeted 1960 black & white film. I can imagine contemporary audiences in shock at the sight of a madman explicitly bludgeoning someone, or the ripping out of a human heart. Laurence Payne and Adrienne Corri are both excellent, which is worth mentioning because neither of their roles are particularly easy or likeable.
Well, I was all set to give "The Tell-Tale Head" a solid 7/10 rating, but then suddenly came the most hated, worst-of-the-worst type of end-twist that exists in horror cinema, so unfortunately we're back to six.
Excellent Move
trinityann8423-130 October 2006
I actually enjoyed this movie.I am a huge horror fan. I read scary books and love scary movies, Edgar Allen Poe is one of the authors I've enjoyed since I was a child. I received this movie as a gift from work for Halloween.I found out that it had only been a dollar plus it had the movie "Chiller" on it. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. A lot of movie adaptations of classic stories aren't nearly as good as the stories but I believe this one was a well done adaptation. It kept my attention from the beginning until the end.The only flaw I guess was that the main female character was too obvious most of the time while the main character, Edgar, seemed pretty oblivious at the beginning.Other than that, very good acting, I was pretty impressed.
a good variation from the written Poe...
dseast18 February 2007
The original murder of an old man is not seen in this movie, but a more interesting and prolonged plot involving love and betrayal. The main character, named Edgar Poe, seems a bit unstable from the very beginning, if not just plain creepy. The theme and feel of the original work is alive in this picture as our main character slowly progresses into psychological deterioration. Good climax and plenty of classic gore for a black and white film.
I think Poe would have liked this one.
I too bought this as part of a double feature for $1 at Wal-Mart, and tax free in New Hampshire no less. Great find if you happen upon it!
I think Poe would have liked this one.
I too bought this as part of a double feature for $1 at Wal-Mart, and tax free in New Hampshire no less. Great find if you happen upon it!
Very good Poe adaptation
Skragg2 November 2007
Like a few of you, I found this on an inconspicuous DVD along with "Chiller," and I just saw it a few hours ago. This film is as good at "stretching out" a short Poe story as the AIP movies (and I'm VERY attached to those). I'm not familiar with Lawrence Payne, but he was great in the part, as were the Dermot Walsh and Adrienne Corri. But I didn't realize Frank Thornton was the barman till I read it here - I'll have to watch for him next time. As for the ending - which I won't give away here - some people might see it as a "cop-out" ending, but I think it works perfectly well. As some of you say, the "risque" side of this film was slightly surprising for a film of 1960 - I kept thinking I was seeing a Hammer film (minus the cleavage!).
Edgar
kairingler8 December 2007
This story is one of the all time favorites of mine, whether on film, or in the book, you can't help but be drawn to it. Always have been a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe , going all the way back to childhood. This particular movie i think does the book a lot of justice, although the female lead character is kinda a little over the top obvious , but other than that, hey the movie really works for me, it doesn't really drag, you feel so sorry for Edgar plodding along in the movie after that girl, i kept telling him Edgar don't tell her about you're best friend, why would you do that, guess he doesn't have to much brains with woman at the time. the plot in the movie was great. although a bit worn, but the music, omg was excellent, very creepy, well done, really there ain't nothing hardly wrong with the movie, if you can overlook the female lead's obvious obnoxiousness then you got it made.
The Tell-Tale Heart
Scarecrow-886 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
A pitiable, terribly timid librarian, Edgar Marsh(Lawrence Payne, who is superb), falls head over heels for a new neighbor, a flower sales-girl who lives across the street. This lovely creature is Betty Clare(Adrienne Corri)and she agrees to date Edgar out of sympathy for his pathetic nature, but soon is attractively drawn to his best friend, playboy Carl Loomis(Dermot Walsh), a ladies' man with quite a reputation around the place. Carl, at first, resists Betty who clearly displays arousing affection for him, but soon accepts a sexual invitation for which a gullible Edgar sees from his window(..he often watches her undress, the voyeur that he is). Edgar, who had spent a considerable amount of money and time on Betty, reacts hostilely to Carl's betrayal by attacking him with a fireplace poker, burying the body under a floor board. This act of violence, haunts him as he hears the loud pounding of Carl's heart beat, which rarely ceases, plaguing him night after night. Succumbing to drink and madness, it's only a matter of time before he cracks. Meanwhile, Betty pursues the answer as to why Carl hasn't returned to her, suspicious since he proclaimed their future betrothal after he broke the news of their engagement and love affair to Edgar.
I think this was a really nice surprise. Director Ernest Morris builds the torment existing within Edgar's soul slowly, over time, using the movement of objects, simple but effectively spooky tricks anchored by Payne's pitch-perfect portrayal of a rather feeble man whose guilty conscience starts to erode his psyche, and his already fragile mental state slowly crumbles..and Morris uses images and sounds such as a water faucet dripping, a clock ticking, a chess piece rolling on a board back and forth(..wonderful symbolism, to boot, since Edgar and Carl played chess all the time), and a rug moving up and down symbolizing the supposed beat of a heart. Corri is ideally cast as the lustful object of Edgar's affections, and she's incredibly sexy which provides an understanding as to the infatuation of the film's protagonist and why he'd constantly obsess over her, to the point that he'd kill his best friend as a result. Great use of silence(..accompanied by the variety of sounds I mentioned above), as well, pointing out Edgar's isolation as the heart beats and he can not escape it, eventually cutting it from Carl's chest, looking at it thump, finally burying it. I think the filmmakers(..and, especially Payne) effectively convey this poor loser's slow descent into hysteria. Bravura job for all concerned..a real sleeper, see it of you get the chance. A word of warning, though..this is a slow burner, a film that takes it's time, allowing all the elements to take shape.
MAJOR SPOILER: Maybe, the twist at the end is a bit of a drag(..the whole "it's all a dream" aspect), but Edgar is quite a whimpering chap, so he deserves some sympathy, which may be why he's spared.
I think this was a really nice surprise. Director Ernest Morris builds the torment existing within Edgar's soul slowly, over time, using the movement of objects, simple but effectively spooky tricks anchored by Payne's pitch-perfect portrayal of a rather feeble man whose guilty conscience starts to erode his psyche, and his already fragile mental state slowly crumbles..and Morris uses images and sounds such as a water faucet dripping, a clock ticking, a chess piece rolling on a board back and forth(..wonderful symbolism, to boot, since Edgar and Carl played chess all the time), and a rug moving up and down symbolizing the supposed beat of a heart. Corri is ideally cast as the lustful object of Edgar's affections, and she's incredibly sexy which provides an understanding as to the infatuation of the film's protagonist and why he'd constantly obsess over her, to the point that he'd kill his best friend as a result. Great use of silence(..accompanied by the variety of sounds I mentioned above), as well, pointing out Edgar's isolation as the heart beats and he can not escape it, eventually cutting it from Carl's chest, looking at it thump, finally burying it. I think the filmmakers(..and, especially Payne) effectively convey this poor loser's slow descent into hysteria. Bravura job for all concerned..a real sleeper, see it of you get the chance. A word of warning, though..this is a slow burner, a film that takes it's time, allowing all the elements to take shape.
MAJOR SPOILER: Maybe, the twist at the end is a bit of a drag(..the whole "it's all a dream" aspect), but Edgar is quite a whimpering chap, so he deserves some sympathy, which may be why he's spared.
Would Poe Recognise This Erotic Version of His Story??
kidboots31 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Even though the opening warning addressed to "those who are squeamish" etc, and with the sound of a heartbeat on a black screen now seems a cheesy gimmick (think William Castle), overall the film is quite a scary experience. You know it's going to be good when you realise it is an early Brian Clemens (he of "The Avengers" and "Thriller" fame) script.
Laurence Payne's haggard looks gave dimension to his performance as the shy Edgar, a reference librarian, whose hobby is chess and who is desperate to find his ideal love. He contrasts strongly with his Carl (stalwart of British Bs, Dermot Walsh) who has all the charm and worldliness that Edgar lacks. They both fall for the same girl, Betty (pretty Adrienne Corri,) and she is attracted to Carl's ease of manner - next to him Edgar appears like a neurotic wimp. Within the first ten minutes you realise Edgar has a drug addiction, he has almost an aversion to women in the flesh but has a need for pornography - did I say he also has a mother complex!!
Betty is a flower seller who moves in across the road from Edgar who, in taking tips from Carl, attempts to sweep her off her feet. His manic enthusiasms turn her off but she is more than willing to be romanced by Carl who tries to warn Edgar about her flirtatious ways. Edgar takes a voyeuristic delight in watching her undress - their windows face each other across the street but one night he sees more than he wants to when Carl keeps a midnight rendezvous with Betty.
The murder of Carl is particularly vicious as Edgar, blood spattered and wild looking, drags his body down the stairs. Jenny seems to show undue concern when after three days Carl has still not shown up. Meanwhile, back at Edgar's residence, the cleaner has been given strict instructions not to enter a locked room. Ticking clocks, dripping taps - even rocking vases, chess pieces and metronomes do their best to send Edgar completely around the twist. He removes the heart, takes it to the parkland and buries it - all very grisly. Observing Edgar, Betty feels he is at the bottom of Carl's disappearance but the police laugh at her complaints, thinking she can't get over the fact that she was thrown over!! And even though the ending is a major let down it still doesn't take away from what is an unsettling, horrific movie!!
Throughout the movie Edgar's sexual repression was pounced on by the censors who apparently removed scenes involving a brutal murder with a poker, the resurrection of the victim's body from it's hiding place and the removal of the heart - all to do with sexual arousal through violence, something the British Board of Film Censors wouldn't put up with. Just a couple of years previously there had been a huge controversy over Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom" (1960) that was finally given an X certificate which may explain why the release of "The Tell Tale Heart" was delayed for two years.
Laurence Payne's haggard looks gave dimension to his performance as the shy Edgar, a reference librarian, whose hobby is chess and who is desperate to find his ideal love. He contrasts strongly with his Carl (stalwart of British Bs, Dermot Walsh) who has all the charm and worldliness that Edgar lacks. They both fall for the same girl, Betty (pretty Adrienne Corri,) and she is attracted to Carl's ease of manner - next to him Edgar appears like a neurotic wimp. Within the first ten minutes you realise Edgar has a drug addiction, he has almost an aversion to women in the flesh but has a need for pornography - did I say he also has a mother complex!!
Betty is a flower seller who moves in across the road from Edgar who, in taking tips from Carl, attempts to sweep her off her feet. His manic enthusiasms turn her off but she is more than willing to be romanced by Carl who tries to warn Edgar about her flirtatious ways. Edgar takes a voyeuristic delight in watching her undress - their windows face each other across the street but one night he sees more than he wants to when Carl keeps a midnight rendezvous with Betty.
The murder of Carl is particularly vicious as Edgar, blood spattered and wild looking, drags his body down the stairs. Jenny seems to show undue concern when after three days Carl has still not shown up. Meanwhile, back at Edgar's residence, the cleaner has been given strict instructions not to enter a locked room. Ticking clocks, dripping taps - even rocking vases, chess pieces and metronomes do their best to send Edgar completely around the twist. He removes the heart, takes it to the parkland and buries it - all very grisly. Observing Edgar, Betty feels he is at the bottom of Carl's disappearance but the police laugh at her complaints, thinking she can't get over the fact that she was thrown over!! And even though the ending is a major let down it still doesn't take away from what is an unsettling, horrific movie!!
Throughout the movie Edgar's sexual repression was pounced on by the censors who apparently removed scenes involving a brutal murder with a poker, the resurrection of the victim's body from it's hiding place and the removal of the heart - all to do with sexual arousal through violence, something the British Board of Film Censors wouldn't put up with. Just a couple of years previously there had been a huge controversy over Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom" (1960) that was finally given an X certificate which may explain why the release of "The Tell Tale Heart" was delayed for two years.
A Tale Well-Told
naomignomester-920-5249058 December 2018
Excellent everything! I highly recommend this film for Poe fans, and for film noir & horror/suspense films buffs. I started watching it for some background sound tonight, and ended up focusing on this wonderful gem. Enjoy.
Interesting Take on the Classic Poe Story
Reviews_of_the_Dead14 October 2020
This was a version of the story from Edgar Allan Poe that I wasn't aware existed. I'm not surprised since this is a popular story that doesn't take a whole lot to actually bring to the screen. It would be one that wouldn't be the easiest to do with before the sound and music were actually synced to the images on screen, but we're past that in terms of cinema by at least 20 years. I recognized the name of Adrienne Corri from a few different things like A Clockwork Orange, Bunny Lake is Missing and Madhouse. To get into this movie though, the synopsis is Edgar (Laurence Payne) is plagued by what he's done when strange sounds are coming from under the floor.
I'll admit, the synopsis that was listed on the Internet Movie Database didn't describe the movie at all, but explaining that it differed from the actual short story and the one on Letterboxd stated a bit too much so I cut it down to give you the jist.
We start this movie with a warning that this displays some scary images and when you hear heavy thumping that sounds similar to a heart, if it is too much then look away. It then shows us who we will learn to be Edgar coming out of a room. He's at the top of the stairs and something he is hearing is driving him mad. He goes down and into the lounge where he thinks a metronome on the piano is the cause of the sound. When smashing it doesn't help, he realizes it is coming from under the piano and tries to get to the source.
The movie then shifts us into the past of what will lead us to this moment. Edgar is a wealthy man who is best friends with Carl (Dermot Walsh). These two guys couldn't be more different. We get a scene at a bar where a woman comes on to Edgar and he flees, where we get the feeling that Carl would know what to do. Edgar sees a young woman of Betty (Corri) move in next door. He goes about learning about her. From the landlady, Annette Carell, he learns that she works at the local flower shop. Edgar does make a bit of fool out of himself when asking about getting a certain type of flower and while she's gone, he flees. Edgar seeks out the aid from his friend of what to do.
He does take the advice and it works. Their first dinner date is a bit awkward, but it doesn't go bad. He walks her to her door where he gets fresh, trying to kiss her. She rebuffs his efforts though. Edgar is persistent and sees her at work the next day. He hasn't ruined it and asks her out for a drink, which she does agree in seeing him again.
While they're out, the two are dancing and I get the feeling that Betty isn't enjoying it as much as he is. Things take a turn when Carl shows up at the club. Edgar invites his friend to join them for a drink. He tries to decline, but the two are persistent for different reasons. Edgar really loves his friend where Betty is enamored. He stays longer than he intended and ends up dancing with Betty.
Edgar and Betty see each other regularly, but she is really hoping to see more of Carl. One of these times is when she learns that the two men meet up to play chess on Sundays. She takes this chance to come over and this turns into Carl being invited to a dinner with this couple the following night. It is there that Carl gives into her advances. The problem is that that Edgar's window looks directly into Betty's apartment and he sees everything.
Now that's where I want to leave my recap for this movie. This movie does have an interesting take on the Poe story and with the changes that are made, does allow it to adapt pretty well to the screen in my opinion. There are some interesting aspects that are introduced as well.
This is really a three-person story with some minor players that are there in support. I want to start with the character of Edgar. He isn't confident in himself and Carl has an interesting take on him. That is 'he is a man to be pitied and that is what invites on him'. He is enamored with Betty who is quite beautiful, but he really doesn't have any confidence. It is a shame as he's wealthy enough and not bad looking. He is shy around women, which we get to see with Elsie (Elizabeth Paget) at the bar earlier. There is some creepiness to him as well. Betty's curtains are open so Edgar sees her as she undresses and also something else that becomes the crux of everything that happens. Carl also has another thing he says that Edgar doesn't really love her, but he thinks he does. He would be as happy to just possess her as actually having her share the feelings he feels for her.
There are then the characters of Betty and Carl. I can't fully blame Betty for using Edgar. He isn't picking up that she isn't fully reciprocating the feelings that he is feeling for her. He is really pushing for her to go out with him, so I can't fault her for taking advantage of it. It is not great of her though to go after his friend, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I will give credit to Carl though. He ignores her and her advances for a good stretch. She is really the aggressor and it is Edgar's fault in part for the two of them spending time together early. He feels for her what she is feeling for him, so I can't fault them.
Before shifting to another aspect of the story, I might as well delve into the acting since I've gone through the characters themselves. Payne I really think is the best part of this movie. He does a great job at playing this character. I felt from the beginning of the movie he was a bit unstable and having that cold open that is a scene later in the movie really helps there as well. When he snaps, I believe he is capable of things that he does. Corri is good as well. She does a lot with her body language and I appreciate that. Walsh gives off the confidence, which he really needs to and it fits. The rest of the cast help to round this out and develop the scenes they are in.
To move back to the story elements, we do get some things with sight and vision. Edgar is a peeping tom, looking in the window of Betty's apartment. It is interesting this came out in 1960 as we get to see her in lingerie. The movie is set in Victorian times, or at least it feels like, which is interesting to potentially cut down on nudity. We also get a scene where Betty is constantly staring at Carl right in front of Edgar. He doesn't seem to notice and I love that they're dancing, sitting at the table and pretty much everything in this scene, no matter what they are doing, she is staring at him. Carl is returning this look and we get extreme close-up of his eyes, as he gazes back at her. I thought this is interesting as an early thing where the 'male gaze' becomes a thing as the horror genre develops.
I'll take this next to effects of the movie. This movie is in black and white, which I've come to appreciate. We don't get a lot of effects and it is still fairly early in the genre where we aren't getting a lot in the way of blood or effects. There is a pretty violent scene though where we get the aggressor covered in blood. That looked good and with the lack of color, I can't hold against the movie if it looked real or not. What we get to see worked for me. The cinematography is also fine in my opinion. I really liked the use of seeing our characters looking at things and focusing on that.
The last thing to go over before ending this review would be the soundtrack. The music that is used worked for me. When we are hearing music that is diegetic, it fits for the era. I never put together that Poe was writing in Victorian times, just in the United States. This movie has shifted this story to be over in England and I'm good with that. What I really liked though is the drumming sound that is mimicking what a beating heart would be. It starts with a clock in Edgar's room. When he stops that, it is dripping water before becoming something else. This really sets the tone and fit for the warning in the beginning of the movie. They are all annoying sounds that are getting to Edgar, which is a representation of his conscious and I can get behind this.
So now with that said, I really did enjoy this adaptation of a short story. It is one that affords you to add your own flair to it and what they do here does that. We explore some interesting ideas here with Edgar seeming to be an unstable guy and his character is played well by Payne. It is hard to fault his two counterparts for what is happening and they're portrayed in a solid way. The other actors do well in support. There aren't a lot in the way of effects, but it is early enough in cinema so I can't complain. The soundtrack, sound design and cinematography really add some good elements as well. With that out of the way, I would rate this as an above average movie overall. An interesting film for sure, but just lacking a bit for me to go higher than that at this time.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10
I'll admit, the synopsis that was listed on the Internet Movie Database didn't describe the movie at all, but explaining that it differed from the actual short story and the one on Letterboxd stated a bit too much so I cut it down to give you the jist.
We start this movie with a warning that this displays some scary images and when you hear heavy thumping that sounds similar to a heart, if it is too much then look away. It then shows us who we will learn to be Edgar coming out of a room. He's at the top of the stairs and something he is hearing is driving him mad. He goes down and into the lounge where he thinks a metronome on the piano is the cause of the sound. When smashing it doesn't help, he realizes it is coming from under the piano and tries to get to the source.
The movie then shifts us into the past of what will lead us to this moment. Edgar is a wealthy man who is best friends with Carl (Dermot Walsh). These two guys couldn't be more different. We get a scene at a bar where a woman comes on to Edgar and he flees, where we get the feeling that Carl would know what to do. Edgar sees a young woman of Betty (Corri) move in next door. He goes about learning about her. From the landlady, Annette Carell, he learns that she works at the local flower shop. Edgar does make a bit of fool out of himself when asking about getting a certain type of flower and while she's gone, he flees. Edgar seeks out the aid from his friend of what to do.
He does take the advice and it works. Their first dinner date is a bit awkward, but it doesn't go bad. He walks her to her door where he gets fresh, trying to kiss her. She rebuffs his efforts though. Edgar is persistent and sees her at work the next day. He hasn't ruined it and asks her out for a drink, which she does agree in seeing him again.
While they're out, the two are dancing and I get the feeling that Betty isn't enjoying it as much as he is. Things take a turn when Carl shows up at the club. Edgar invites his friend to join them for a drink. He tries to decline, but the two are persistent for different reasons. Edgar really loves his friend where Betty is enamored. He stays longer than he intended and ends up dancing with Betty.
Edgar and Betty see each other regularly, but she is really hoping to see more of Carl. One of these times is when she learns that the two men meet up to play chess on Sundays. She takes this chance to come over and this turns into Carl being invited to a dinner with this couple the following night. It is there that Carl gives into her advances. The problem is that that Edgar's window looks directly into Betty's apartment and he sees everything.
Now that's where I want to leave my recap for this movie. This movie does have an interesting take on the Poe story and with the changes that are made, does allow it to adapt pretty well to the screen in my opinion. There are some interesting aspects that are introduced as well.
This is really a three-person story with some minor players that are there in support. I want to start with the character of Edgar. He isn't confident in himself and Carl has an interesting take on him. That is 'he is a man to be pitied and that is what invites on him'. He is enamored with Betty who is quite beautiful, but he really doesn't have any confidence. It is a shame as he's wealthy enough and not bad looking. He is shy around women, which we get to see with Elsie (Elizabeth Paget) at the bar earlier. There is some creepiness to him as well. Betty's curtains are open so Edgar sees her as she undresses and also something else that becomes the crux of everything that happens. Carl also has another thing he says that Edgar doesn't really love her, but he thinks he does. He would be as happy to just possess her as actually having her share the feelings he feels for her.
There are then the characters of Betty and Carl. I can't fully blame Betty for using Edgar. He isn't picking up that she isn't fully reciprocating the feelings that he is feeling for her. He is really pushing for her to go out with him, so I can't fault her for taking advantage of it. It is not great of her though to go after his friend, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I will give credit to Carl though. He ignores her and her advances for a good stretch. She is really the aggressor and it is Edgar's fault in part for the two of them spending time together early. He feels for her what she is feeling for him, so I can't fault them.
Before shifting to another aspect of the story, I might as well delve into the acting since I've gone through the characters themselves. Payne I really think is the best part of this movie. He does a great job at playing this character. I felt from the beginning of the movie he was a bit unstable and having that cold open that is a scene later in the movie really helps there as well. When he snaps, I believe he is capable of things that he does. Corri is good as well. She does a lot with her body language and I appreciate that. Walsh gives off the confidence, which he really needs to and it fits. The rest of the cast help to round this out and develop the scenes they are in.
To move back to the story elements, we do get some things with sight and vision. Edgar is a peeping tom, looking in the window of Betty's apartment. It is interesting this came out in 1960 as we get to see her in lingerie. The movie is set in Victorian times, or at least it feels like, which is interesting to potentially cut down on nudity. We also get a scene where Betty is constantly staring at Carl right in front of Edgar. He doesn't seem to notice and I love that they're dancing, sitting at the table and pretty much everything in this scene, no matter what they are doing, she is staring at him. Carl is returning this look and we get extreme close-up of his eyes, as he gazes back at her. I thought this is interesting as an early thing where the 'male gaze' becomes a thing as the horror genre develops.
I'll take this next to effects of the movie. This movie is in black and white, which I've come to appreciate. We don't get a lot of effects and it is still fairly early in the genre where we aren't getting a lot in the way of blood or effects. There is a pretty violent scene though where we get the aggressor covered in blood. That looked good and with the lack of color, I can't hold against the movie if it looked real or not. What we get to see worked for me. The cinematography is also fine in my opinion. I really liked the use of seeing our characters looking at things and focusing on that.
The last thing to go over before ending this review would be the soundtrack. The music that is used worked for me. When we are hearing music that is diegetic, it fits for the era. I never put together that Poe was writing in Victorian times, just in the United States. This movie has shifted this story to be over in England and I'm good with that. What I really liked though is the drumming sound that is mimicking what a beating heart would be. It starts with a clock in Edgar's room. When he stops that, it is dripping water before becoming something else. This really sets the tone and fit for the warning in the beginning of the movie. They are all annoying sounds that are getting to Edgar, which is a representation of his conscious and I can get behind this.
So now with that said, I really did enjoy this adaptation of a short story. It is one that affords you to add your own flair to it and what they do here does that. We explore some interesting ideas here with Edgar seeming to be an unstable guy and his character is played well by Payne. It is hard to fault his two counterparts for what is happening and they're portrayed in a solid way. The other actors do well in support. There aren't a lot in the way of effects, but it is early enough in cinema so I can't complain. The soundtrack, sound design and cinematography really add some good elements as well. With that out of the way, I would rate this as an above average movie overall. An interesting film for sure, but just lacking a bit for me to go higher than that at this time.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10
At last a good print of this film on DVD
kensworld-135-30597528 August 2011
This little film has been lurking on my shelves for several years now, but hasn't got played, simply because the quality of the DVD is atrocious. If I say it is on the 'Alpha' label, I am sure there will be those who will fully understand what I am getting at. The picture quality is streaked with lines and spots and makes for uncomfortable viewing. I feel therefore, that I will not be alone in being pleased that this film has now been accorded a respectful release on DVD by 'Pegasus Entertainment' The quality is vastly superior to the 'Alpha' and gives us a golden opportunity to at last, obtain a decent print of this film. As to the film itself, much of it's merits have been already touched upon by previous reviewers. Suffice to say that whilst this is not an earth shattering film it is nevertheless a neat little black and white thriller with some nice touches thrown in, plus good performances from Laurence Payne and Adrienne Corri.
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